Submitted by Suanne Z. Thamm
Reporter – News Analyst
October 26, 2015 9:50 a.m.
The North Florida Transportation Planning Organization recently released a truck circulation study reportedly done at a cost of $50,000 to update and evaluate the existing traffic and truck levels on the local arterial intersections of the City of Fernandina Beach. The study evaluated truck traffic destined for and generated by the Port of Fernandina, Rayonier Advanced Materials and WestRock.
The information below is taken from that 14-page study which is available from the North Florida Transportation Planning Organization, www.northfloridatpo.com.
There were eight intersections studied along A1A (8th Street) and five along 14th Street (SR 105). Twelve 48-hour classification counts were collected on May 12-14 and May 19-20, 2015, along with one 5-day classification count the week of May 12 (8th Street suth of Sadler Road). A second week of data (7days) was collected at 8th Street south of Sadler Road during the week of June 2, which enabled a comparison of traffic volumes when school was in session versus when it was out of session. The May data was slightly higher than June, when comparing the same day of the week.
Weekend daily traffic in both weeks was lower than the weekday daily traffic, and the May and June Saturday traffic volumes were similar.
The AM peak hour was identified as 7:15-8:15, while the PM peak hour was from 2:45-3:45.
The analysis indicated that a majority of the truck traffic utilizes 8th Street/SR A1A as opposed to 14th Street/SR 105. Eighty-three percent of the total daily trucks at the main access point of the island network used the 8th Street/SR A1A link north of Sadler Road, while 17 percent utilized the Sadler Road link east of 8th Street/SR A1A. A large decrease in truck traffic occurs north of Gum Street (83% drops to 57%), reflecting the traffic heading west on Gum Street to Rayonier Advanced Materials.
The next industrial site northwards and west of 8th Street is the Port of Fernandina. Four percent of the total daily trucks traveling into the study area (90 trucks per day) were observed on Dade Street west of 8th Street.
WestRock, the final industrial site in the study area, received the remaining 48 percent of the truck traffic.
The study concludes that “truck traffic generated by the Port of Fernandina [is] minimal and it can be assumed it may not adversely impact the traffic operations within the study area.”
Note that Table 2 shows trucks accounting for a small percentage of total vehicular traffic transiting the study area.
Editor’s Note: Suanne Z. Thamm is a native of Chautauqua County, NY, who moved to Fernandina Beach from Alexandria,VA, in 1994. As a long time city resident and city watcher, she provides interesting insight into the many issues that impact our city. We are grateful for Suanne’s many contributions to the Fernandina Observer.
However, each truck takes the space of 5 or 6 cars each. It’s not 1 truck = 1 car. Take these number of trucks times 5 or 6 to get a real count.
Discussion of this study began when the Port Commissioners were considering placing a cruise line terminal at the end of N 14th Street (at the old Pogy plant). In looking at the actual study, the question is whether there is capacity to send buses up and down 14th Street from the cruise ships to not disrupt truck traffic to the mils. It gives a person a reason to pause when you can get 30 people on a bus and a cruise ship may have 3 t0 5,000 passengers. This also works out conservatively to over 100 buses along with all the trucks necessary to resupply the ship and take the garbage off. More interesting is that fact that capacity for more trucks may also be considered on 14th Street. Making a one way loop of traffic going north on 8th St, crossing Franklin to the east and making 14th St. one way south would solve the problem of not enough truck lanes. Port Commissioners can be very creative.
What a waste of $50,000 dollars particularly when the study only covers two months of 2015 activity and fiscal year 2014 counts are publicly available http://www2.dot.state.fl.us/FloridaTrafficOnline/viewer.html).
Further, the study is flawed and does not represent total traffic coming off and on the Island which truck traffic from the mills and the Port impact. This study should have included our Island’s primary intersection of AIA and the Parkway.
I haven’t read the study, just the article. I am not sure the stated conclusion is valid. It seems that the truck count for the port is meaningless unless there is a comparison to activity at the port. The truck traffic at the port is probably intermittent. If there is nothing in the warehouses to haul off the Island then there are no trucks going to the port. If there is no cargo being hauled to the port for the next ship, there are no trucks. When was the last ship berthed and when did the next ship berth compared to the study dates. Did the study use a representative study period when there was truck activity at the port?
Several good points in your comments, but circle back and ask why the need to spend $50,000 for a two month study to independently assess Port truck traffic when the Port Director documents that information.